Parishes must set up and run a parishwide road administration system, with approvals required for fund spending and certain road work planning and reporting duties.
§755. System of administration A. Unless otherwise provided by law, parishes shall adopt a system of road administration which shall require approval of the governing authority for any expenditures made out of this fund, and no member of the governing authority shall expend any funds in his ward or district without the approval of the parish governing authority. Each parish shall adopt a parishwide system of administration inclusive of parish roads within municipalities which shall include the development of a capital improvement program on a selective basis, centralized purchasing of equipment and supplies, centralized accounting, and selective maintenance and construction. All construction shall be based upon engineering plans and inspection. B.(1) The parishwide capital improvement program shall list all projects to be constructed during the fiscal year. Each parish shall undertake a continuing study of the needs of the various parish roads for the purpose of bringing existing roads up to current standards or for replacement of existing roads where required and shall keep the information so developed up to date through a continuing annual needs study. Each parish shall develop a parishwide program of construction inclusive of parish roads within municipalities to be commenced the ensuing fiscal year which shall be based upon the anticipated revenues to be appropriated by the legislature and listed in a prioritized ranking based on parishwide needs inclusive of parish roads within municipalities and shall include overlay projects. The program shall also list the projects which may reasonably be anticipated to be constructed in the following two years. All projects listed for the total three-year program shall be approved by the parish governing authority. The capital improvement program shall be adopted by the parish governing authority prior to the beginning of the first year of the three-year plan. The program shall be adopted annually regardless of whether the parish governing authority anticipates capital improvements in the first year of the plan. (2) The funds appropriated to each parish shall be used for the benefit of the parish as a whole and within the priority ranking for the parish. The most critical needs existing parishwide according to the priority ranking shall be met first. Funds shall not be expended in the parish until the parish has complied with the provisions of this Part. C. The parishwide selective maintenance program inclusive of parish roads within municipalities shall provide for a schedule of the work to be performed by category, on a weekly basis. The program shall be prepared and administered by the parish road manager. The parish road manager may authorize maintenance work not contained in the weekly schedule upon receipt of constructive notice of a defect in the parish road system and when, in the opinion of the parish road manager, the defect constitutes a hazard to public safety. The parish road manager shall maintain a record of the work so authorized and shall report the total amount of such expenditures on a monthly basis to the parish governing authority. Acts 1990, No. 221, §1; Acts 1992, No. 889, §1; Acts 1993, No. 102, §1.